


Arrows and Heartstrings

by NailoPaige



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Armitage Hux Has Issues, Arranged Marriage, Cute poly trio to cut through the angst, Finn loves baking don't @ me, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Low Fantasy, Multi, Reylo - Freeform, Robin Hood References, Secret Identities, Sir Dameron the Slutty, animals for everyone, confused identities, everyone loves a good cloak, fairy tale, reylo au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:08:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23738842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NailoPaige/pseuds/NailoPaige
Summary: Princess Rey runs away from her arranged marriage to Prince Ben Solo and falls in love with the mysterious Kylo Ren and his band of vigilantes, the Knights of Ren. Low Fantasy/Fairytale AU
Relationships: Finn/Rose Tico, Poe Dameron/Finn, Poe Dameron/Finn/Rose Tico, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 9
Kudos: 32
Collections: Reylo Prompt Fills (@reylo_prompts)





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s note for Arrows and Heartstrings:  
> A few quick notes, before we jump in. 1. Thank you to @reylo_prompts for the story idea. It struck me with a bright flash of inspiration and got me writing fic again, which I haven’t done in over a decade (so be nice, plz). 2. I am playing VERY fast and loose with Star Wars cannon here, so uh, if you’re really into cannon stuff, this might not be for you? But you will see some fun guests from the EU! 3. This is an AU low fantasy/sword and sorcery/fairy tale, just go with it.  
> 4\. CONTENT WARNINGS. As someone who experiences intrusive thoughts on the daily, I’m trying to be extra diligent about this, and err on the side of caution always. CWs are always listed at the beginning of each chapter, in order, and denoted in story with a **double asterisk** to show you what part to skip over. If there’s something that you feel should have a warning that I’ve somehow missed, please hit me up in the comments so that I can edit it, and you have my sincerest apologies. Also, as a blanket statement, there will never be ANY sexual assault/noncon or on-screen animal death in this story. 5. You can find me on twitter @NailoPaige for story updates and whatnot. I anticipate putting a new chapter out every saturday, maybe two if I’m feeling saucy and right now I’m thinking it will be around 20 chapters. Thank you so much for reading!

Throughout the day, there were three sets of notable footsteps echoing off the palace walls. The first were slight, furtive, and near silent, a pair of soft slippers crept down a long corridor, in a disused wing, to an expectant open window, where a satchel of carefully prepared supplies lay in wait. The second was a rolling thunder of heavy boots crashing against smooth tile, careening through a bustling kitchen, and launching themselves out of a back door. The final set was a finely crafted pair of golden court shoes, taking measured clicks through the tapestry hall that leads up to the Queen’s salon. Threepio gulped nervously as he gave a nod to the stiff spines and raised eyebrows of Her Majesty’s royal guard stationed outside the elegantly carved doors. Tentatively, he entered the room. Tentatively, he took a few steps forward. Tentatively, he considered fleeing the palace entirely, rather than deliver the news which had become his unholy burden in the last ten minutes. Tentatively, he- “Threepio. Stop creeping in my doorway like a pangolin and deliver whatever message to me you’re dreading delivering.” Leia raised an eyebrow over a cup of tea at her advisor and took a pointed sip. The man straightened, adjusting the golden jacket which suddenly felt infinitely constraining at the neck, and after clearing his throat, he managed to force out the words he had been desperate to not have to say. “I. erm. Yes. Your Majesty it is a delicate matter, and I would be remiss if I-” Leia set her tea down with a determined clink, and levelled a glare that would freeze a river in it’s tracks. “I said out with it. We do have somewhere to be, you know.”  
He gulped. “About that, your majesty. We may need to postpone the engagement dinner. It would appear the princess has fled. ...and so has your son.”

* * *

It’s difficult to grow up as an orphan in a desert scavenging for scraps. It’s more difficult to then find out that you’re the grandchild of a legendary ruler and her legendary love affair with a legendary knight. It is most difficult to discover that you are now somehow next in line for the throne and are a long lost princess. The 3 years after that particularly wild discovery had been a whirlwind of crash courses in leadership, courtly graces, military strategy, and perhaps the only part that Rey had relished, which was combat training. Fortunately for her, prowess in combat was favored in Mandolorian culture. It was during a particularly intense training session that her uncle had knocked the wind out of her first figuratively, and then literally, with five words. “We’ve begun your marriage negotiations.” Shock and surprise flashed across Rey’s face as she took in the meaning of those words, and her uncle seized the opportunity to deliver a powerful sweeping kick that sent her tumbling over backwards, sprawling across the courtyard. His towering figure seemed to block out the sun as he stood over her offering her a hand up. The color drained from her face. “My what?”  
Over the course of the the years that followed that training session, many suitors had been bandied about for a potential marriage alliance. Rey came to understand that while she technically had a choice in the matter, too much was at stake to rebel against what was for the greater good of her new kingdom. When an arrangement was made between her uncle and the Queen of Naboo, she had resisted the urge to flee. She had put on her best “soon-to-be-ruler” face and had agreed to marry Prince Ben Solo. She had steeled her resolve with all that she’d learned in the five or so years since her family had found her in that desert, just before her sixteenth birthday. She had searched out information on her betrothed, a slight wrinkle forming on her freckled nose every time she even thought of the word. According to rumor, the prince was handsome, intelligent, and a bit of a hothead. He was also apparently rarely in the castle. That was something at least, Rey had mused. If she hated him, maybe she wouldn’t have to see him very much. 

* * *

Life in the shadow of one of the greatest rulers to have ever lived was no easy task, and despite his best efforts, Ben just never quite felt up to the task of being a patient and wise ruler. Put a sword in his hand and he was unstoppable. Sit him down at a negotiation table and he had to spend most of his energy to keep his frustration from blaring across his face. Between the attempted tutelage of his sage uncle, the less than appropriate for a crown prince adventures with his father, and the patient and shrewd lessons of his mother, you’d think he’d be more prepared for life at court. There was this voice though, this unheard song that called his mind to dark places. His uncle had warned him about the dangers of passion in a ruler, urging him to wall up the corner of his mind that the darkness called to, but it was no use, still that siren song would creep in through the cracks. Maybe it was that darkness or maybe just old fashioned wanderlust and a yearning for adventure that had led him to forming the Knights of Ren. They weren’t sanctioned by the crown, and were in fact closer to a vigilante group than any tradition of courtly knights. Whereas to be a knight of the naboo court, you had to possess noble heritage, the Knights of Ren were made up of anyone from anywhere who could defeat Kylo Ren in armed combat in a trial, and who would swear their life to the knight’s cause. The knights had been questing through the kingdom for a couple of years now, and while they weren’t exactly the knights in shining armor that one typically envisioned, they were beloved by the people. The nobility detested them, called them a plague. But then again, that’s what happens when you do things like uncover plots by lords to deny charity to those less fortunate so that they can hoard wealth for themselves. It’s especially frowned upon by the nobility to say, steal that hoarded wealth, and personally redistribute it to where it should have been in the first place. That’s why the knights of Ren always wore masks. That’s why Ben Solo and Kylo Ren had to be two different people.  
Ben had sat motionless across from his mother at the breakfast table one morning to discover that he was now apparently betrothed to some princess or another. The speech was one he’d heard many times before, duty and honor and family. It seemed somewhat hypocritical to him given that his own mother had married a nobody, a scoundrel, after they had fallen in love during the war. He nodded solemnly and then began stabbing at the fare laid out before him, stuffing morsels into his mouth while trying to remain calm. Better to have eggs in his mouth than words he would immediately regret. Things had been tense with his mother since his father had died. He was reminded once again that as a man in his late twenties he should have already been married, and that she had to go all the way to mandalore to find a princess that wouldn’t be frightened off by his surly attitude. He eyed his mother frostily as he set down his fork very deliberately and rose from the table to his full impressive height. Excusing himself curtly, he walked out of the salon. . 

* * *

Leia took another sip of her tea to hide her smirk. “Gone, are they? Well. That’s no reason to deprive people of the lovely meal that we’ve prepared” She spoke wryly. “Tell our guests that the happy couple have decided to go on a rancor hunt or something. Whatever excuse you feel will be the most tactful and most importantly, the most believable. Then send Poe Dameron to me. I have an errand for him.”


	2. If you’re going on an adventure, best to wear sensible shoes…

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ben each flee the palace, but soon find each other in the woods, under some pretty ridiculous circumstances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few quick notes, before we jump in. 1. Thank you to @reylo_prompts for the story idea. It struck me with a bright flash of inspiration and got me writing fic again, which I haven’t done in over a decade (so be nice, plz). 2. I am playing VERY fast and loose with Star Wars cannon here, so uh, if you’re really into cannon stuff, this might not be for you? But you will see some fun guests from the EU! 3. This is an AU low fantasy/sword and sorcery/fairy tale, just go with it.  
> 4\. CONTENT WARNINGS. As someone who experiences intrusive thoughts on the daily, I’m trying to be extra diligent about this, and err on the side of caution always. CWs are always listed at the beginning of each chapter, in order, and denoted in story with a **double asterisk** to show you what part to skip over. If there’s something that you feel should have a warning that I’ve somehow missed, please hit me up in the comments so that I can edit it, and you have my sincerest apologies. Also, as a blanket statement, there will never be ANY sexual assault or on-screen animal death in this story. 5. You can find me on twitter @NailoPaige for story updates and whatnot. I anticipate putting a new chapter out every saturday, maybe two if I’m feeling saucy and right now I’m thinking it will be around 20 chapters. Thank you so much for reading!

If you’re going on an adventure, best to wear sensible shoes…

** CW; parent death, angsty boy furniture smashing.

Rey gently tossed her pack out the window and followed right behind it, easing herself down the outside wall, arms flexing as she lowered herself to the ground. The first thing she did was strip off the dainty slippers she had been wearing inside the palace and step into a pair of well worn leather boots. Her maid had grimaced as she’d added them to the pile to be packed up to go with her to Naboo, but Rey had insisted. “For training” she’d said. And up until this morning, they actually were for training, up until when she’d heard the crashing sounds coming from the wing of the palace her betrothed was housed in. Now those boots were for running. Next went the gossamer light gown and the delicate headdress that a swarm of tittering handmaidens had dressed her in. She carefully bundled all those up and stashed them behind a garden statue. She pulled a training tunic from her pack and quickly shrugged into it, the dove grey linen settling about her slight frame as she pulled her chestnut brown hair up into a series of knots on the back of her head to keep it out of her face. The trousers she’d had on under her dress were a darker grey that hugged her long, lean legs, and finally a long gauzy scarf wound it’s way across her shoulders and neck. Satisfied that she looked inconspicuous enough, she shouldered her leather pack and made her way over towards the garden wall that butted up against the forest. With one smooth motion, she silently hopped up and over the wall and strode off into the woods without so much as a backward glance.

* * *

Earlier that morning, a note had been slipped under Ben’s door that made his blood run cold. “It was supposed to be your mother. Next time we won’t miss.” Ben snatched the door open to an empty hallway. Whoever had delivered the note was long gone. Tears welled up in his eyes and his vision clouded red as he remembered the helplessness he’d felt, clutching his dying father. The crossbow bolt had come out of nowhere and slammed into Han’s chest mid-sentence.** He’d gazed down at the red blossoming across his chest in disbelief, falling to his knees. Leia’s guards had been dragging her kicking and screaming away from her husband and over to cover, as Ben caught his father’s fall. He’d begged and pleaded for his father to stay awake, stay with him, but he could tell by the blood trickling out of his mouth that his lung had been punctured, and the blackening of his veins near his temples sang a song of poison. There was no hope for Han Solo. Ben had felt the life force fading away in him as he turned his face up to his son. “Hey kid.” he’d coughed. “Take care of your mother. I love y-” His last words had been cut off by a ragged choking gasp that was his last breath. He’d carried his father’s body all the way back to the palace, refusing to let anyone but his mother anywhere near them.** When he’d finally laid him down, his arms had felt heavy, and burned with a dull ache. His chest had felt hollow, and his mouth had set in a grim line. Over the past year and a half since, he’d done everything he could to find his father’s killer, but every trail had gone cold, every lead turned up nothing. He had tried to build a wall around his grief, to contain it. Imprison it with that silvery voice that called to him from the darkness. And now. This note. With a snarl of rage he slammed the heavy door behind him, retreating to his room. **He lashed out at the nearest piece of furniture, hurling the offending table into the wall, smashing it into kindling. The tapestry that had hung behind it was next. Like a man possessed, Ben smashed, ripped, and slashed his way through his bedchamber until it looked like he’d fought a small army of direwolves in there.** He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t sit idly by and bow and scrape to the gathered masses of idiotic nobility. He couldn’t smile and dance and preen like some kind of trained bear while his father’s killer was out there. Out there waiting to try again.  
The palace staff knew to steer clear when the crashing noises started. Exchanging looks and raised eyebrows, scurrying away to find Somewhere Else To Be. While the rages had been less frequent over time after Han’s death, they were always destructive and quite frankly, a little terrifying. That’s probably why it wasn’t until someone had the unfortunate task of knocking on Prince Ben’s door to summon him for the engagement dinner that they discovered there was no one there. Instead, a note was laid out on the mantle in Ben’s surprisingly neat hand: “Mother, I have received word that there is to be an attempt on your life. I will not sit idly by. I will not lose you. Take every precaution, and please give my sincerest apologies to the princess Rey for the delay in our engagement.” a tiny smear of hesitation in the ink was followed by “It’s not her, truly, it’s me. There is a darkness in me that I must vanquish before I can be any kind of ruler, partner, or husband. I’m sorry.” With a trembling hand, the valet carried off the message to deliver it to his Queen, startled by the contents.  
Ben was running at a full sprint to the stables. It had taken him time to gather some supplies, and more time to send his falcon to deliver a message to Javelin, instructing the Knights of Ren to gather and prepare for a mission of the utmost importance. Han had always teased him that if he used his falcon as a carrier pigeon, one day she might not come back. She always came back though. He gave her freedom, and she in turn was as devoted to him as an animal could be. He’d always loved animals, he felt like he understood them better than people, and that that feeling was mutual. The falcon had been a gift from his parents, and he’d adored training her. Ducking behind the stables, he pulled off the midnight blue velvet courtiers jacket he’d been prepared to wear at the feast, struggling slightly to wrench it off of his broad muscular shoulders. He threw it in a heap behind a bush along with the crisp white silk shirt that he’d worn under it at the insistence of the clucking band of tailors that had designed his feast ensemble. He then pulled a long sleeved black tunic out of his saddlebags and jerked it down over his smooth chest. Next was the black leather vest, stitched and studded together to form a light armor. A wide black belt was lashed around his waist attaching his sword to his hip. Last but not least was a long black hooded cloak that shrouded him down to his ankles and rippled slightly in the breeze. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t love the drama of a good cloak, and as Kylo Ren, infamous vigilante, he had a certain part to play. He was already wearing a pair of tight fitting black riding trousers and tall black boots, so with a final adjustment of his belt, he peered around the corner to make sure no one was around. Satisfied there was no one between him and the door, he strode into the stables, tugging on his thick black leather gloves. His horse was in her stall, huffing and stamping impatiently, having sensed his presence while he was outside. He quickly saddled the statuesque Freesian mare with the practiced motions of a frequent rider. Running his large hands down her neck and whispering soothing meaningless words, he then swung himself up into the saddle in one fluid motion. Normally, he would use a different horse with the Knights of Ren, so as to not draw suspicion, but this was too important, he didn’t give a damn if he was found out. He wouldn’t be coming back until his mother and his kingdom were safe. Ben urged Sahbey into a walk, and once he saw the coast was clear, what with everyone busily preparing for the feast, he growled out a “yah!” and urged her into a canter, heading straight for the forest and beyond that, the Knights of Ren.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Chapter 2 is also up, since the Prologue and Ch.1 are kind of little mini chapters. Time for our heroes to meet!


	3. Into the Woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey meet in the woods under some ridiculous circumstances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few quick notes, before we jump in. 1. Thank you to @reylo_prompts for the story idea. It struck me with a bright flash of inspiration and got me writing fic again, which I haven’t done in over a decade (so be nice, plz). 2. I am playing VERY fast and loose with Star Wars cannon here, so uh, if you’re really into cannon stuff, this might not be for you? But you will see some fun guests from the EU! 3. This is an AU low fantasy/sword and sorcery/fairy tale, just go with it.  
> 4\. CONTENT WARNINGS. As someone who experiences intrusive thoughts on the daily, I’m trying to be extra diligent about this, and err on the side of caution always. CWs are always listed at the beginning of each chapter, in order, and denoted in story with a **double asterisk** to show you what part to skip over. If there’s something that you feel should have a warning that I’ve somehow missed, please hit me up in the comments so that I can edit it, and you have my sincerest apologies. Also, as a blanket statement, there will never be ANY sexual assault or on-screen animal death in this story. 5. You can find me on twitter @NailoPaige for story updates and whatnot. I anticipate putting a new chapter out every saturday, maybe two if I’m feeling saucy and right now I’m thinking it will be around 20 chapters. Thank you so much for reading!

****** _ CW: brief mention of child abuse, scene where a boar is injured. _

Poe Dameron was an exemplary knight, except for the part where he was the cockiest bastard Leia Amidala had ever met. He had a brand of swagger that made him simultaneously extremely likeable, and a huge pain in the ass. To say that he and her son didn’t get along would be an understatement, to put it mildly, but she had hopes that one day they could learn to work together as she and Poe had. When he made his way to the Queen’s salon, he sauntered past the guards without so much as a sideways glance, and pushed open the doors without a knock. “I heard you asked for me specifically your Majesty-” His words were cut off by the stricken look on the queen’s face, the trembling body language of the valet, and the crumpled paper in Leia’s hand. “Thank you, Ward, you are dismissed. Please see to it that Ben’s room is righted, for when he returns.” With that, the valet, Ward, bowed low and scuttled from the room, blessedly free from royal drama for at least the next five minutes. Leia put a hand over her face and stifled her emotions before turning to face Poe. “I’m glad you’re here, although the intentions behind my summons have changed in only the last few moments.” she said, handing the crushed paper over to Sir Dameron. He scanned down the neat script quickly, mouth falling slightly open as he read Ben’s words. “Leave everything to me, your majesty! I’ll double, no. I’ll triple the guards. We’ll put the whole palace on lockdown. We’ll get you to safety! We-” “Sir Dameron.” Leia cut him off with a soft word. “Poe. Poe think. Use that brain of yours for something other than jousting. If the letter arrived today, while all of the guests are in the palace for the engagement dinner, then it seems most likely that this plot comes from within the kingdom, does it not?” Poe’s cheeks flushed slightly as they always did when Leia pointed out the obvious. “It...does.” Leia made a small gesture with her hand, prompting him to continue. “Therefore, the danger is most likely already within the palace, and we must do our best not to tip off the villains that we know of their ploy. They threatened you through Ben to sow chaos.”

Leia nodded gravely. “Exactly. And that is why we must not play their game, but rather, force them into playing ours.” A roguish grin lit up Poe’s eyes, crinkling at the corners with glee. “So, your majesty, what ever shall we do?” he asked, offering his arm to the queen in a garishly over the top manner. “We shall do three things.” Leia said, rising from her seat to take Poe’s proffered elbow. “First, we must have a special friend in the kitchens to watch for poison. Second, we must attend a lovely dinner tonight and make excuses for our runaway prince and princess. And third, you must leave right after the dinner, and find princess Rey.” Poe thought of the Princess with her soft brown hair, her mischievous grin, her toned arms, her fierce determination in combat, her slender waist, her round- “ _ stop it, Dameron, you’ve got no business thinking of your lord’s betrothed like that.” _ He brought his thoughts to a screeching halt before they reached something bordering on inappropriate. “Yes, your majesty, I will not fail.” Leia turned a radiant smile to him as they exited into the tapestry hall towards the grand ballroom. “I know you won’t, Sir Dameron. That’s why I asked for you. Now about our special friend for the kitchen?” Poe smirked. “Oh yes, I wouldn’t trust it to anyone else.” And with that, he turned, offered a bow, kissed her hand with a flourish, and headed off to find Rose and Finn. Finn would be thrilled to be assigned spy duty in the kitchen, as he himself was an amatuer chef and loved food almost more than he loved his wife. Rose, on the other hand, might kill him for even asking.

* * *

The only sound in the forest was the hushed in and out of Rey’s breathing. Unlike the well manicured lawns and fruit trees on the other side of the castle, this forest was wild and untamed. Rey was awed walking through the deep, plush moss under the canopy of towering trees that cloaked the forest floor in a perpetual twilight. A light mist crept along the narrow path, muffling her light steps. It had been easy going for the first mile or so, but now the trees were denser, and the mist hid the gnarled tree roots at her feet, threatening a twisted ankle in exchange for a misplaced step. Rey’s doubts about her hasty departure began to worm their way into the periphery of her mind. “ _ What have I done? What will my uncle say? Will I be able to go home? He’ll have to understand. No sane man crashes around like that, and I’ll not be tied to some brutish hothead for the rest of my life.” ** _ Her thoughts took a dark turn toward the man who’d “raised” her as a child. The memories of bruised limbs and fitful sleep crashing into her mind unbidden and unwelcome**. 

Perhaps it was those twisted thoughts that distracted her from the trail ahead, and led her to planting her foot right between two twisted roots, wedging her boot firmly in place. “ _ Curse it all. Stupid. Just so stupid. _ ” she began trying in vain to pull her boot up from the root’s twisted grasp, shifting this way and that, when she heard a rustling noise in the brush that was moving in her direction. Whatever was making that rustling noise was big. Alarmingly big. And it was coming closer. Rey began to strain at her boot in earnest, twisting it this way and that. Whatever was trundling through the underbrush by the path stopped, and in the brief silence she heard the creature take a deep sniff, picking up her panicked scent. Finally giving up on the boot, she simply wrenched her foot out of it, ankle scraping against the scratchy root on it’s way out. The rustling began again, this time in earnest, and this time heading straight for her. Rey leapt up and grabbed the lowest hanging branch of a large tree, swinging herself up into it’s higher limbs with a grace that only comes with years of muscle memory. Suddenly, the biggest boar Rey had ever seen in her entire life crashed out of the underbrush onto the path, snuffling after her scent, tracking it to her lonely boot, pitifully wedged in it’s new home among the moss covered roots below her. The boar began to sniff the air around it, giving Rey the opportunity to take in what she was seeing. “ _ Stars. It’s a dire boar.”  _ she thought. It was easily the size of a horse, with huge sharp looking tusks and striped spines like quills hanging off of it’s back. It was absolutely terrifying, but also strangely beautiful. She hoped it would grow uninterested in her measly boot and wander off, but today just didn’t seem to be her lucky day. Instead, the boar began to turn to face the tree she was currently hiding in. In the space of a few thundering heartbeats, the boar turned it’s face up and locked eyes on her. “ _ So much for that I guess” _ Rey glanced around, looking for a branch to break off and turn into a makeshift spear, if it should come to that. Fortunately, a beast that size surely didn’t look like it could climb a tree. Instead, it walked a little ways away from the tree and turned to face her. Seizing the moment, Rey reached out to grab a branch that looked like it would do for a spear, when suddenly, the boar snorted hot steaming breathe and charged straight for the tree, ramming it with it’s massive bulk, and shaking Rey to her bones, almost knocking her off of her precarious perch entirely. Rey gripped the branch tight as the direboar turned around to make a second pass, bracing for impact. 

Some time later, Rey prayed to any spirits that would listen that the boar would tire before she did, but it showed no sign of stopping, and she genuinely feared the tree would give out before the beast did. CRASH, crunch, shudder, repeat. And then, Rey heard hoofbeats of a different kind. Turning to face the sound, she realized that there was a rider coming up the trail. “ _ Oh no. Whoever they are, they’ll be skewered on direboar tusks!” _ Rey saw the boar cock it’s head to one side, listening. “Shit. um. Oi! Watch out! There’s a Direboar here!” she yelled at the top of her lungs, breaking the boars concentration and returning it to the task at hand. CRASH, crunch, shudder. The horse hoofbeats stopped. “A WHAT?!” answered a deep bellowing voice, tinged with disbelief. “A DIREBOAR YOU MORON DID I STUTTER GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE-” CRASH, crunch, shudder. “DID YOU JUST CALL ME A MORON?” the deep voice replied. “YES! And I’ll do it again if you’re fool enough to come closer!” At that moment, an almost impossibly tall figure swathed in a black cloak and black leather armor crept slowly into view on the path. CRASH, crunch, shudder. “MORON!” Rey screamed. trying to keep the Boar’s focus on her. The man raised his hooded face towards her tree and let out a gasp. At that moment, the boar turned and charged towards the easier prey. Faster than something that large should move, the boar ran full tilt at the man. Fast as lightning, Rey kicked out, snapping the branch of the tree as she somersaulted down to the ground, landing with catlike reflexes, and a new, although crude, makeshift spear. The man barely had time to react, and no time to draw his weapon, so he did what any other moron would do in his position. He set his feet against the charge, turning at the last second **and punching the boar as hard as he could directly in the soft flesh of the beast’s large roiling eyeball. This stunned and confused the creature momentarily, granting Rey the opportunity to vault onto it’s back and drive the broken, pointed tip of her makeshift spear into the space between two of it’s ribs. The direboar bucked and shrieked, impaling one of its quil-llike spines deep into the muscle of Rey’s thigh, and tossing her into the air like a ragdoll. The boar squealed in pain and** ran off into the underbrush leaving a trampled path in its wake. Rey landed on the forest floor with a crunch she knew she would be feeling in her joints for days, weeks maybe. Her vision swam before her as she sat up and turned to face the stranger. “You PUNCHED a Direboar?” she asked incredulously, her words slurring slightly as she gazed at this colossal, this mammoth, this moron striding over to her in disbelief. “And YOU jumped onto it’s back with a stick. Who’s the bigger moron, now?” his voice was low and grumbly, but kind of soft, like velvet, like this moss. The thought drifted into her mind as she began running her hands over a root idly. “You- you seem to have a quill sticking out of your leg.” He rumbled, looming over her. Her gaze drifted to muscled calves encased in fine leather boots, thighs like tree trunks, and upward. “I do?” Her speech was definitely slurred. “May I, ah, May I pull it out? It looks pretty bad.” He turned his head back toward the direction he came, and clicked his tongue. Soon after, the biggest horse Rey had ever seen trotted around the corner, its shiny black coat gleaming and tossing it’s wavy black mane. “Wow. look atchoo, yer both pretty ponies aren’t ya?” the nonsense words dribbled out of her mouth before she could stop them. The tall dark tree trunk man chuckled low in his throat, and the mare whickered, unamused. “Have you ever done mushrooms or any other recreational botanicals? Because you’ve got Rancor venom coursing through your bloodstream right now, and while it won’t hurt you, it will make you feel funny, disoriented.” “recreational? Botani- botaaaanic- botanicals?” she giggled at the absurdity of the words. He set his mouth in a firm line at her giggling while she was doing so much bleeding, which in turn, elicited a giggle-snort from her. “I’m going to take the spine out now. Ready? One... two...” and on two he smoothly slid the spine out of her thigh and began to apply pressure to the wound with his large hand, gripping her leg like a vice, staunching the flow of blood. Rey laid a small hand over his much larger one, comparing the sizes and grinning to herself, her calloused palm gliding over his thick knuckles back and forth in a manner that bordered on inappropriate. Ben’s heart pounded in his chest at her touch. Suddenly aware that she was very close, very attractive, and very much on an unintentional drug trip. “Can you hold your hand here for a minute? Press down firmly, we’ve got to stop this bleeding. I’ll need your scarf.” she unwound the scarf from around her shoulders clumsily and handed it to the big broody moron man, not trusting herself to speak again. He placed her hand over the wound, urging her to apply pressure as he began ripping the scarf into strips for bandages with a practised efficiency. He then removed her hand from the wound, which had managed to clot at least slightly. He proceeded to wrap her leg with great care, tight enough to hold pressure, but not tight enough to cut off circulation. “Can you stand? I don’t know how much blood you lost, or what you were even doing out here, but it’s not safe, and we need to leave before something worse comes along.” Rey nodded perhaps a little too vigorously, feeling drunk and euphoric. He offered her a leather gloved hand, and she took it to steady herself as she stood up. “I dun think I lost tha mush blood” she managed to slur before her world went black and she collapsed against the firm, muscled chest of the man in black. She was dimly aware of strong arms scooping her up as if she weighed nothing at all, cradling her protectively against his chest as he climbed into the saddle, gingerly placing her in front of him, arms encircling her to keep her from falling, as if she were something precious. Her body was flushed warm against his, and she was breathing, but he knew he needed to get her somewhere safe. Spirits, this was the worst possible time for this kind of distraction. But the way she had leapt through the air, fearless, and fiery, gave him something to think about as he rode off towards the rendevous point, leaving her one pitiful boot wedged into the forest floor behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! chapter 3 will be up *soon* and we'll get a little SluttyPoe! and meet the Knights of Ren aka Kylo Ren and his Merry Men aka more excuses for mistaken identities and hijinks. Plus some pining, more political intrigue, and allllll the sexual tension.


	4. Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe sets off on his chase. Rey wakes up to the wonderful world of vigilantism.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few quick notes, before we jump in. 1. Thank you to @reylo_prompts for the story idea. It struck me with a bright flash of inspiration and got me writing fic again, which I haven’t done in over a decade (so be nice, plz). 2. I am playing VERY fast and loose with Star Wars cannon here, so uh, if you’re really into cannon stuff, this might not be for you? But you will see some fun guests from the EU! 3. This is an AU low fantasy/sword and sorcery/fairy tale, just go with it.  
> 4\. CONTENT WARNINGS. As someone who experiences intrusive thoughts on the daily, I’m trying to be extra diligent about this, and err on the side of caution always. CWs are always listed at the beginning of each chapter, in order, and denoted in story with a **double asterisk** to show you what part to skip over. If there’s something that you feel should have a warning that I’ve somehow missed, please hit me up in the comments so that I can edit it, and you have my sincerest apologies. Also, as a blanket statement, there will never be ANY sexual assault or on-screen animal death in this story. 5. You can find me on twitter @NailoPaige for story updates and whatnot. I anticipate putting a new chapter out every saturday, maybe two if I’m feeling saucy and right now I’m thinking it will be around 20 chapters. Thank you so much for reading! 
> 
> No CWs for this chapter, it's surprisingly wholesome aside from a little sexy teasing from Sir Dameron the Slutty.

Poe shmoozed his way through dinner with his usual rakish charm, dancing with all the right gossipy ladies, telling tales with all the right braggarts, and smiling at one conversation while listening to others all around the ballroom. Leia had trained him well for this type of work, and he had the charisma to pull it off almost effortlessly. There had been plenty of gossip about the missing prince and princess, which Poe had answered with stories each more outlandish than the last, much to the delight of the other guests. As the party began to wind down, Poe offered an arm to Lady Kaydel Ko Connix, offering to escort her back to her chambers with a wolfish grin. They sauntered out of the ballroom, leaving no doubt in anyone’s mind what he and Leia’s lady in waiting were off to get up to. Of course, those party guests would be mostly wrong. Lady Kaydel was also an informant for her majesty, and Poe gave her the rundown of all the pieces of interesting or relevant information he had divulged from the other guests. There was unrest in Coruscant (no big surprise) Luke Amidala was still studying some tome or another on the island of Ach To, This lord was sleeping with that lady, who was also sleeping with this other lady and so on and so forth. When they were finished comparing notes, Kaydel offered Poe a drink, loosening the laces just a bit on the front of her gown, allowing just the slightest peek at the sheer chemise beneath. They had played this game many times before, often to a highly satisfying conclusion for them both, but unfortunately tonight he was a man on a mission. He sighed longingly, as he cupped the side of her neck in one hand and leaned in to whisper in her ear “Not tonight, I’m afraid. Her majesty is sending me off to find the runaway princess bride, and you know how she has a distaste for dallying.” He trailed one finger down the front of her gown, hooking the top lace and loosening it just a little more, enjoying the view as she sighed against him. He leaned in and kissed his way up her neck to just below her earlobe, which always made her squirm delightfully. “Stars and spirits.” he murmured against the pale flesh of her throat. “I have to leave right now, or I’ll never go.” she flashed a wicked grin at him as he disentangled himself. “Go then, find your princess. I’ll just have to find Tallie and see if we can amuse ourselves in your absence.” Poe groaned as he straightened out his clothing, most importantly his trousers. “Well my darling, think of me fondly while you do.” and with a wink, he grabbed his pack and was out the window.

Theed palace had a very impressive kennel, which Poe almost never used. However, for tonight, Leia had asked him to have Beaux wait for him outside, rather than letting him trail around beside Poe as he usually did. For one thing, the sight of a giant wire haired wolfhound could potentially make some of the more persnickety guests on edge, and for another, he needed him well rested and ready to do some tracking. Beaux was the 8th in his sire line, and quite frankly, had a better pedigree than Sir Dameron. At least, that’s what he told people. In actuality, he had found him in an alley as a puppy and it was love at first sight for both of them. He’d embellished both of their pedigrees as fact would have it. He hadn’t known how big he would get when he was a scraggly little puppy, trotting along beside him, and being fawned over by all the ladies and some of the lords in the castle. The fawning had been nice. Very nice. Poe made his way to the back of the kennel where he let Beaux out. He sniffed at him ruefully, giving him a whole .5 seconds of punishment for daring to lock him up before breaking out into a wide doggie grin, tongue lolling out to the side. “Alright Beaux, ready to do some late night tracking through dangerous woods?” He asked his shaggy four legged companion, who in turn sniffed at the air and headed in the direction of the forest. When they reached the edge of the woods, Poe removed a gauzy wrap scarf and held it out for Bea to scent. It smelled like sunshine and sand and cinnamon, it smelled like her. Beaux moved at a steady clip, keeping within Poe’s line of sight, and sniffing out any traces of Rey to be found. He wished he could have ridden a horse to make this faster, but the only horse that could navigate this terrain, let alone in the dark, was already conspicuously absent from the stables. Not that he’d dare take Sahbey without asking. Not that he’d ask. He was brave, not stupid. He wished he could figure out the prince. He’d never understood how someone who had literally everything could be so jaded and angry all the time. He certainly didn’t understand how someone who was a grown man could throw raging tantrums and never get taken to task about it. But hey, that’s the nobility for you. Ben’s only redeeming factor was that Beaux positively adored him, the furry little traitor, and Ben showed affection for the dog anytime he wandered over to him. While he may regard Dameron with icy tolerance, he was a sucker for a dog. Poe surfaced from his thoughts on the troubled prince as Beaux began to scratch and whine at a particular root in the forest floor. On closer inspection, there was a lady’s boot wedged in between two thick moss covered roots. With a little finagling and twisting, Poe was finally able to work it free. It was definitely Rey’s training boot. He surveyed the scene around him. There was a faint brownish red spatter, and a wide set of tracks that trailed blood into the undergrowth. He started in that direction when Beaux let out a low, warning growl. “Not that way?” Poe asked the dog. Beaux sniffed at the boot once more then looked further down the trail before sitting down in front of Poe as if to tell him that the trail ended here. Poe tucked the boot into his bag, and looked down the trail, groaning and rubbing his face with his hands when he finally spotted the massive shod hoofprints that he had apparently been following already. “Oh. you think this is funny, do you?” Bea sat back on his haunches and yawned, letting his tongue hang out of his mouth in an approximation of “I told you so.” Poe kicked at the root in front of him. “I don’t know what happened here, but I can tell you that it probably wasn’t good, and that our job definitely just got more complicated.” Beaux tilted his head at Poe, then turned and started down the path. “Fine, of course, by all means, lead the way!” Poe quipped as he shrugged his bag onto his shoulder and started down the trail after his dog, silently cursing the name of Ben Solo.

* * *

Rey awoke to a familiar smell. “Caff.” she groaned. “Well look who’s awake.” a firm hand held her shoulder down, to keep her from bolting upright. “Watch your head there, damsel.” The voice sounded like a smirk. Rey’s eyes snapped open. She was in some sort of...bunk bed? The voice belonged to one of the most striking women Rey had ever laid eyes on. Flaming red hair done up on elaborate braids and swirls, tight to the sides of her head, piled on the top and trailing all the way down her back. She had pale skin, freckles, and piecing grey eyes, hard as agates. She wore scale armor that was black with an iridescent green shimmer in the fire’s light. She was thick and muscular, and would have been completely intimidating if not for the wry smile she was flashing at Rey. “Slowly, when you sit up. I don’t know if any of that Rancor venom is still in your system, and you might be feeling woozy. You’ve been out for more than twelve hours. Here, have some water before you drink any caff. You’re probably dehydrated.” She spoke with an authority so complete, that Rey complied completely as an instinct, accepting the cup that was offered to her.

After taking a deep drink from the clay cup, she looked up at the redhead. “Where… where am I?” Rey asked, incredulously. She glanced around at her surroundings. It looked like some sort of clubhouse, or maybe an armory, or maybe a demented wizard’s lair, or a hunting hideout, it was hard to tell from the bizarre mish mash of items stashed along makeshift shelves and crevices in the rock. There were some bunk beds lining one wall, a low fire pit in the center, a rack full of weapons and several chests filled with spirits knew what. Skins and woven blankets were scattered around and there were some low slung chairs at the fire pit. “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”The redhead barked with a throaty laugh. “I’m Javelin, by the way. I can only imagine that you’re not from around here. So what could have possibly led to you hiding in a tree from a Rancor in the darkwood, at night? Make it good, cause we’ve got a bet going.” She passed Rey another clay mug, this one filled with a steaming hot beverage that smelled like chicory. Rey looked at her with wide eyes, blinking as she drank deeply from the mug. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind as her uncle had taught her.

“For starters. I’m not a damsel. You are correct that I’m not from around here, and as to why I was up a tree, there was a very large, very spikey reason for that as I’m sure you know.”

Javelin grinned. “Well, until you give me something else to call you, your name is damsel.” “My name is R- uh, Rook.” Rey blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. Javelin raised an eyebrow. “Rook, huh? Not bad for a fake name.” Rey snorted. “Almost as good as Javelin?” Javelin smirked. “Almost.” Rey drained the rest of the caff from the cup before looking around for somewhere to put the now empty vessel. Her brain began to fully kick into gear, the last fluffy clouds of rancor venom evaporating in the face of precious caff. “Just add it to the pile.” Javelin gestured to a bucket full of assorted dishes, and that’s when Rey noticed for the first time that Javelin’s left arm ended in a stump just below the elbow. It’s also when she noticed that she was currently pantsless. “Where are my pants?” she demanded, hurriedly stashing the mug in the dish bucket, thankful for the length of her tunic. “Oh. right. Between the rancor quill, and all the crusty blood, we had to cut them off of you. I’m sure we can find you something to wear, along with a new pair of boots, you only had the one for some reason. Follow me.”

Javelin led Rey further into the strange cave, to a partitioned off back corner. “We tried to pull out some stuff that would fit you, you can use anything in there.” Rey stepped behind the partition and was surprised to find several trunks full of the most bizarre assortment of clothing she’d ever seen. There were bejeweled gowns, tattered beggars clothes, and everything in between, heaping out of trunks in no particular order. Laying out on top were a few pairs of pants and some boots that looked vaguely her size. “Are you in a mummer’s troupe or something?” Rey asked, selecting a pair of soft, black leather breeches that laced up the front. They looked closest to her size, and as sturdy as the pair she’d lost. “A mummer’s troupe?”Javelin chuckled. “Stars, you really haven’t figured it out, have you? Or you’re much more clever than most people. Get dressed and come out here, we need to have a serious conversation before Kylo gets back.” Rey quickly tugged on the pants and stuffed her feet into socks and then a very comfortable pair of very broken in already boots. Anxiety began to knot in her stomach.

Javelin eyed Rey up and down approvingly, and then all traces of mirth left her face as she pointed to one of the chairs by the fire pit. “Sit down.” Rey’s pulse quickened. This woman was half a head taller than her, and looked to be a formidable warrior. Probably best to try and talk her way out of this, rather than fight. She moved with an assurance that she did not feel, and sat stiffly in the chair, limping only slightly on her wounded leg. Javelin took the seat across from Rey and looked straight into her eyes. “I’m going to ask you some questions, and I want you to answer them quickly, and with a yes or a no. Got it, Rook?” Rey swallowed and nodded. “Good. First, are you running from something or someone?” “Yes.” “Second, are you trained in combat?” “Yes.” “Third, do you know the man who brought you here last night?” “No. I’ve never met-” “Yes or no. I don’t want details right now. Last, Have you ever heard of the Knights of Ren?” “No.” Javelin took a deep breath, and sat quietly for a moment, searching Rey’s face. Rey sat in stony silence, apparently waiting for her fate to be decided. The only sound was the crackle of the small fire between them. After what felt like an eternity, Javelin leaned back in her chairs and said “Alright, I believe you.”. Rey let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been keeping in. “So, what now?” she asked. Javelin let out a sigh. “Now, I give you some options. We won’t hold you here against your will, that goes against everything we stand for, and you saved Kylo’s life, so we definitely owe you for that. If you want, I can blindfold you right now, and take you back to about where you were last night, and that will be that, of course, we’ll ask that you never speak of this to anyone.” She took a long pause before continuing. “Or, you can stay. You can stay, and you can see what we do, and perhaps in time you’ll join us. I have a deep, gut feeling about you, and my gut is rarely wrong. Not to mention, you somehow managed to make a lasting impression on Kylo. He said you leapt onto a Rancor’s back armed only with a pointy stick? Kylo Ren does not impress easily, but he seems… well, he’s got some pretty dire circumstances he’s dealing with right now, but still. Anyway. You said you were running from something. We can protect you, keep you hidden.” She nodded up towards a row of helmets “We never leave this place unmasked. We fight for the people who cannot fight for themselves. We have no gods and no masters, only a bond of loyalty. We do not bow and scrape to flouncing golden lordlings, and so, we have many enemies. We are the Knights of Ren. So. Rook. Will you stay?” 

* * *

Kylo Ren swung himself up into the saddle, the leather on his gloves creaking as he clenched and unclenched his fists around Sahbey’s reigns. Sahbey stamped and huffed disapprovingly, sensing Kylo’s frustration. Kylo squeezed his thighs, urging the horse to start off in the direction of the Knights of Ren’s base of operations. His meeting with Bossk had not gone well. The scaly old sellsword was mean like a snake, but he was the absolute best person to ask if you needed information on anything underhanded going on in the kingdom. Unfortunately, Bossk didn’t know anything about any assassination attempt being plotted for the palace. Not even a whisper had reached Bossk’s ears, which could only mean that whoever wanted his mother dead was keeping things in house, and had some very loyal co-conspirators. Kylo grunted and clicked his tongue, setting Sahbey into a canter. He had much more important things to be thinking about right now, which is why it was highly disturbing that his thoughts kept drifting back to  _ her _ . It was like he could still feel her pressed against him in the saddle, phantom fingers caressed his gloved knuckles. He groaned and rolled his eyes at himself. He was behaving like someone half his age, moony eyed over a first crush. It was disturbing. It was embarrassing. But for a small part of him, it was also thrilling. He’d had courtly flings with a few ladies before, but it was all hormones and ridiculousness. He hadn’t even really thought about being with anyone in that way in years. He thought of the way her perfect cupid’s bow lips had quirked into a smile, despite having a quill embedded in her leg, and how that smile was like sunshine breaking through the clouds. He thought about how she had been so light in his arms, so warm, so… “ _ get it together, man, you’re acting like an idiot, and there’s work to be done.”  _ Kylo shook his head, as if that could somehow clear his mind. He tried to focus on the trail ahead of him, thankful for the sure-footedness of his steed. He tried to focus on replaying his interaction with Bossk in his head, searching the memories for clues, for anything he might have missed. “ _ At least she won’t be there when I get back.” _

* * *

“I’ll stay.” The words came out as almost a surprise. She knew it was more than slightly irrational to stay with a group of vigilantes in the same kingdom she had just fled a marriage to their prince. She knew it might be dangerous, but after speaking with Javelin at length about what exactly they did, and hearing her stories, watching the fire she spoke with, there was something very alluring about this. She didn’t necessarily have to become a knight, but maybe she could just...lay low with them, until she figured out how to get word to her uncle without causing a war between kingdoms. Hopefully. Javelin’s serious face broke out into a broad grin. “Excellent. As soon as your leg heals up, we’ll get into the training ring and see what you’re made of. Everyone else should be back soon, and we can fill you in on how we do things around here.” Javelin tilted her head almost imperceptibly, listening. The sound of hoofbeats making their way towards the cave grew steadily louder. “That’s got to be Kylo. Sahbey is not exactly a subtle horse.” With that, Javelin rose from her seat and counted off on her fingers mouthing “annnd three, two, one” Immediately, a tall man in pitch black leather armor, a long black cape, and an elaborate black helmet came stomping into the cave. He yanked his helmet off and tossed it onto a stool with a resounding thunk. Running his fingers through his coal black hair, he let out a deep sigh and growled “Nothing. Bossk had nothing. I’m beginning to despair that these people are ghosts!” he reached up to unhook the clasp on his cape before he jerked to a halt and gasped. “What is  _ she _ doing here?” His eyes widened for a split second before he turned the full force of his scowl toward Javelin. Javelin met his scowl with a cool expression and one slightly raised eyebrow. “Kylo Ren, I’d like you to meet Rook, no last name. Although, I suppose you met last night. She’s going to be staying with us for a while.” Rage flashed across Kylo’s face and was gone in a flash. “Javelin.” he said through gritted teeth. “I should like to speak to you. Privately.” and he turned and stomped out of the cave. Javelin put a halt to Rey’s impending protestations with a small gesture of her hand. “Wait here.” she said, and then she followed him out of the cave. Rey was left to wonder at what exactly she had gotten herself into. She was also left with a head that had begun swimming with memories of the night before as soon as Kylo had entered the cave. Had she really called the fearsome leader of a vigilante gang a “pretty pony”? She covered her hands with her face and let out a grunt of exasperation. 

Javelin walked calmly over to Kylo who was busying himself with removing Sahbey’s saddle. “ _ What _ were you  _ thinking,  _ Javelin?” Kylo spoke with the air of someone trying to remain calm with every fiber of their being. “I was  _ thinking _ that since Rostek left, we are down a member and that girl took on a rancor with a stick. I was also  _ thinking  _ that she’s on the run, and my gut instinct tells me she’s going to be very useful to us and that we can help her. And I was  _ thinking _ that the Kylo Ren I know wouldn’t dump the woman who saved his life back in the darkwood without so much as a thank you. Or am I wrong on that account?” Kylo breathed in through his nose slowly, and exhaled through his mouth. “Javelin, you know how important the task at hand is, I can’t allow myself to be distracted.” Javelin arched an eyebrow. “And what exactly is so  _ distracting _ about her? Other than the obvious.” Kylo whirled to face her. “What’s obvious?” He asked with more than a little paranoia in his voice. Javelin gave a short laugh. “That she’s gorgeous? And knows her way around a spear?” She cocked a smirk at the entendre, attempting to lighten the mood, but Kylo blanched and cleared his throat. “I hadn’t noticed.” Javelin rolled her eyes. “Look, it’s not like you have to handle any of her training. She’s going to stay here for a while, so it’s not like she’ll be interfering with anything. I told you, I can feel it in my gut that this is where she’s supposed to be. When have I been wrong about something like this?” Kylo nodded slowly and turned back to his horse. “Fine. But this mission comes before anything else.” Javelin gave a nod and turned back toward the cave.

The next few hours were a flurry of activity, dinner was prepared, the rest of the knights returned. Rey learned that there were 6 knights in total. Kylo Ren and Javelin she knew. Then there was Flint, a short, broad chested man with dark copper skin and curling black hair who seldom spoke, and moved with a deliberate grace. Then there were the twins, Oake and Hawk, almost identical with pale silvery hair and dark green eyes, lithe limbs, and practically a language all their own. Lastly, there was Dirk, who could not have been more than 17 years old, but whose face held the gravity of someone who had seen more than someone that young should have. Weapons were seen to, armor was repaired, more than a few inside jokes were made, and they all relayed information about some mission they had all been on. It was obvious that they were speaking in some kind of code, but apparently there was some sort of assassination attempt to be made on someone very important, and they had all returned empty handed. It seemed Rey would not be included in any particular plans surrounding this mission, but that was understandable. After dinner, Dirk and the twins cleared all the dishes away, and everyone else set about some task or another, leaving Rey alone with her thoughts for a moment. What a strange group she’d suddenly found herself in.Stranger still was that it didn’t feel that strange at all. There was a camaraderie here that made it feel like a home and a family even more than her flesh and blood did. Everyone did their fair share, no one scraped and bowed, there seemed to be little official hierarchy other than Kylo being the leader, and Javelin a sort of second in command. There were definitely worse places to hide out while avoiding a royal arranged marriage. Eventually, after she thought everyone had turned in for the night, she made her way out of the cave to get some fresh air. Dirk had told her that leaving the cave was fine, but to stay in the grove to avoid the assorted traps that were laid out for any intruders that might get too close.

Rey exited the cave, and her breath caught in her throat. He was standing there in a loose tunic and pants, brushing out that massive horse, and he was the most beautiful man she’d ever seen. She stood there silently for a moment, drinking in the sight of him. She watched as the muscles in his arms corded in a steady rhythm with each stroke of the brush. He muttered soft words to the horse as he worked, and an aura of calm and contentment surrounded him. Rey could have stood there and watched him for hours, but the moment was halted abruptly as he turned to pick up the horse’s blanket and spotted her. She blushed furiously, tilting her head down and letting her hair cover her face slightly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude, I just wanted to thank you.” She raised her eyes to peer up at him, nervously chewing on her lower lip. He stiffened and whirled around, carefully placing the blanket on his horse before mumbling “I should also thank you, I suppose. Although, I could do without being called a moron again.” Kylo tried to still the thundering in his chest, to slow his breathing and right himself before turning back to her. It was no use though, as soon as he turned around and met her gaze, his chest began pounding anew. She was heart rendingly gorgeous. She lifted her chin to give him a small smile and it was like that smile melted all articulate thought out of his head. “I promise not to call you a moron again, if you promise not to punch any more direboars.” He grinned like an idiot. Her smile broadened into a radiance that cleared the cobwebs out of the chambers of his heart and shone a light in places long dark. “I don’t make promises I can’t keep.” He rumbled. “Then I suppose I shouldn’t promise not to call you names. Nevertheless, I am very grateful for you taking care of me, for bringing me here, and most of all, for letting me stay. I’ll try to be …” She floundered for the right word. She wanted to drop to a knee right now and swear fealty, something, anything that would match the tempest of emotions in her head. Finally she settled on “helpful?” she squeaked, mortified by her own brain’s betrayal. Kylo Ren just looked at her thoughtfully. “I’m sure you’ll be much more than that.” he coughed and cleared his throat. “Javelin seems to think so anyway, and I trust her implicitly.” Rey looked down and fiddled with the edge of her tunic before looking up again. “I should probably go to sleep, it’s been an intense day.” All Kylo Ren wanted to do was rush over, sweep her up in his arms and kiss this woman with wild abandon. Instead, he mumbled “You’re right. Goodnight.” and turned back to face his horse to keep her from seeing the strain in his expression. “Goodnight then.” Rey murmured uncertainly, and turned and went back inside the cave, soft footsteps disappearing into silence behind him. He stroked and petted Sahbey’s nose as she rolled her eyes at him. “Don’t judge me.” Kylo sighed as he lead the horse off to where they would sleep.

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I just want to reiterate, that with the exception of Javelin, these Knights of Ren are not SW cannon in any way, because I wanted to do my own thing with them. Javelin is an EU character, in fact, one of my favorite EU characters, but I'm taking a LOT of liberties with her. I hope you enjoyed reading, stay tuned for the plot explosion next chapter as we introduce our villain! dun dun dun!
> 
> Also thank you SO much for your kudos and comments. It makes me so happy that people are reading my nonsense and enjoying it. Feel free to add me on twitter for updates and shenanigans. @NailoPaige


	5. May I?...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tidbits of castle intrigue, training in the woods, castle fluff, a smoldering encounter in a moonlit pool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your patience with this chapter, I wrote and rewrote it a bunch, so hopefully it's worth it.  
> A few quick notes, before we jump in. 1. Thank you to @reylo_prompts for the story idea. It struck me with a bright flash of inspiration and got me writing fic again, which I haven’t done in over a decade (so be nice, plz). 2. I am playing VERY fast and loose with Star Wars cannon here, so uh, if you’re really into cannon stuff, this might not be for you? But you will see some fun guests from the EU! 3. This is an AU low fantasy/sword and sorcery/fairy tale, just go with it.  
> 4\. CONTENT WARNINGS. As someone who experiences intrusive thoughts on the daily, I’m trying to be extra diligent about this, and err on the side of caution always. CWs are always listed at the beginning of each chapter, in order, and denoted in story with a **double asterisk** to show you what part to skip over. If there’s something that you feel should have a warning that I’ve somehow missed, please hit me up in the comments so that I can edit it, and you have my sincerest apologies. Also, as a blanket statement, there will never be ANY sexual assault or on-screen animal death in this story. 5. You can find me on twitter @NailoPaige for story updates and whatnot. I anticipate putting a new chapter out every saturday, maybe two if I’m feeling saucy and right now I’m thinking it will be around 20 chapters. Thank you so much for reading!

CW: sex, nothing too dirty (yet.)

  


Lord Armitage Hux glared at the missive before him. Rage boiled through his veins like hemlock. “What do you mean, they’re  _ both _ missing?” he hissed through clenched teeth. “He was supposed to go chasing after phantoms, but  _ she _ was supposed to remain here. Am I to believe that a princess- a mere  _ girl _ was able to give you the slip?” His fingers curled menacingly around the side of the beautiful polished wood of the writing desk he was seated at. His rooms in theed palace were impressive indeed, but that hardly mattered. His world felt as though it was hanging by a thread, dangling off a cliff. His birthright, his way of life, his very honor as a lord of the kingdom of Naboo. And some piece of Mandolorian trash was about to ruin everything. The look that Lady Rae Sloane levelled at Hux froze his blood. “Lord Hux. I should like to remind you that the Order of the Firstblood would not exist without me, and that without my influence over your father, he never would have recognized you as his legitimate son, and you would not be sitting in this palace, scratching up that fine mahogany. With this in mind, perhaps you should like to reconsider your decision to speak to me in such a tone, lest I reconsider my decision to allow you to command this clandestine operation.” Lady Sloane had absolutely perfected the art of masking a perfectly derisive sneer with a smile. She smiled at Hux. “Shall we ring for some refreshment while we contemplate how to adapt to the present circumstances?” Without waiting for a reply, she glided over to a bell pull on the wall and lifted a flawless ebony hand to gently tug, ringing a silver bell in the kitchens somewhere below. She then pivoted gracefully and crossed the room to a plush chair, lowering herself onto it, and crisply folding the skirts of her rich burgundy velvet gown around her. She locked gazes with Hux, dark eyes flashing, “Have you ever heard of The Rite of Heir Abandonment?”

  


* * *

  
  
  
  


Training today was especially brutal, despite what a gorgeous day it was. Sweat beaded on Rey’s brow and dripped down her face. She was practically drenched with it, thanks to the warm weather and the sunlight that snuck through the dense forest to create puddles of light at their feet. Kylo had returned from another fruitless mission last night, and had woken everyone up at dawn to begin their training for the day. It had been a couple of weeks since her fight with the Rancor, and the wound in her leg had all but healed, leaving a pink scar and the occasional twinges of pain in her thigh. Since then, she had been training with each of the knights in turn, learning new fighting styles, tracking, espionage, horseback riding, first aid, and dozens of other survival skills she wouldn’t have even thought to include in training. Her combat training in Mandalore had been focused almost solely on fighting and strength. Here, she was pushing herself to the brink of human endurance almost every day. Each of the knights had their own favored weapon, and they had each been training her in their own brand of fighting. Dirk had taught her how to use his namesake, dual wielding two long thrusting daggers with flashing accuracy. His slim build and short stature allowed him to twist in close to his opponents with instant lethal blows. Flint had been teaching her to use all manner of axes. His personal favorite was a large, two handed battle axe, which had ultimately been too unwieldy for Rey, who preferred his hatchet throwing lessons. Hawke fought with a long, slender rapier, dealing out piercing blows with lithe grace and fluid motions. Oake had been teaching Rey to use a longbow, although Rey highly doubted her accuracy would ever come close to Oake’s. Their ability to balance on anything and loose arrows on targets no larger than a coin was awe inspiring. Javelin used any weapon that was available to her, but excelled in the use of all manner of spears, whether in melee, or from a vast distance. Training with Javelin had been the most frequent, and while they trained with a variety of weapons, they soon fell into a pattern of spear versus staff. Rey had been fighting with a staff since she was scraping out a life in the desert, fending off bullies and large rodents intent on stealing her meager suppers for themselves. It had been a long time since those days, but her staff felt like an extension of her body.

  


Kylo was another story. He’d only been around for a day here and there over the past couple of weeks, and honestly, he seemed to be avoiding her. Still, sometimes, she would meet his eyes across the campfire and a spark would ignite deep inside her. She had caught him staring at her more than once and been mortified. Was her form sloppy? Did he think she wasn’t worth the energy? She hadn’t raised any of these concerns with Javelin out of fear of sounding like a pathetic child, needing approval. But everytime she felt his eyes on her, prickles raised on her skin and her face flushed, completely out of her control. Thankfully, the training exercises they were going through today were absolutely grueling, and everyone was flushed. They had started by running full tilt through the forest, leaping over rocks and roots, ducking under low hanging branches, and avoiding other pitfalls in the mossy terrain. They’d come back, eaten a quick breakfast, and progressed to combat training. The heat of the day was setting in, and everyone had stripped down to whatever level of clothing kept them cool. Rey had shed her over vest and over tunic and was wearing a light pair of linen trousers, a sturdy pair of suede boots, and had joined Javelin and Hawke in stripping down to the wide swath of fabric that bound her breasts to her chest. The men had stripped off their shirts, and Oake had opted for a sleeveless tunic, since they didn’t care to be uncovered that day. 

The six knights had rotated through sparring partners while Kylo called out a series of moves, walking among them and correcting their form. She was so deep in concentration during a sparring match with Hawke, parrying and countering her rapier thrusts, that when she caught a movement crossing behind her out of the corner of her eye, she immediately switched her grip and lashed out at the form. Kylo turned at the very last second narrowly avoiding taking a staff thrust to the gut. This startled Rey to the point where she missed a parry, and Hawke deftly seized the opening, tagging Rey in her side, just below the ribcage. Rey groaned “Nice one, Hawke.” she said, rubbing her side. Kylo spoke up from behind her. “You need to strike with intent on the first blow and land something to disable or knock back your opponent before striking out at your second.” Before Rey could object that it had been a fluke, Kylo stepped in alarmingly close behind her. “May I?” He asked in a smooth, flat voice. Rey nodded, not trusting her mouth not to let something snide escape. She squared off against Hawke again, who raised her sword in front of her face and did a silly little mockery of a fencer’s salute. Rey snorted at the sight rolling her eyes, and then froze as Kylo took another step, aligning his body to hers. He placed his hands lightly on either side of her hips, his touch questioning. She swallowed and nodded slightly once more. His hands flattened, creating a gentle pressure, radiating the entire length of her hip bones, creeping down her thighs. Spirits, his hands were big. “When you take the first underarm strike, pivot hard onto your right hip, then when you slide the staff for your second strike, you can deepen the lunge on your left knee.” She went through the motions as before, pivoting hard as Kylo’s hands flexed against her, the force of the strike sent Hawke into a brief retreat, and she followed the motion through, sliding the staff out in a thrust against an invisible second attacker, Kylo bent his body flush with hers and used his left knee to deepen the lunge, causing her to strike out with impressive force. The motion clicked into place for her, and her muscles sang. Her body was now completely pressed against his, his steady breath tickling the back of her neck. Their chests rose and fell together in perfect unison, and she arched the tiniest bit into him, feeling the skin between her shoulder blades rest lightly on his smooth, bare chest. “Better?” he asked. “Better.” She replied. They stood there in perfect tension, the growing heat between them palpable. His hands shifted ever so slightly, grip tightening. “Aaaaaand now you’re both dead.” Hawke chuckled, as they noticed she had her sword levelled at their chests. Kylo dropped his hands and took a hurried step backward. “Work on it.” He said before striding away. Rey’s legs were quivering, and not from the workout. 

  


* * *

  


Rose sighed and rolled her eyes. “I’m telling you, it’s been nothing for weeks now. I highly doubt there is a plot afoot in the kitchens, and I’m beginning to think you’re keeping us on this detail solely for your own amusement.” Poe finished licking a bit of batter off of Finn’s proffered thumb. “You’re crazy. It’s perfect, it doesn’t need any rasberry.” Finn beamed at Poe’s compliment. Poe turned to Rose with a broad grin “I won’t say that my own amusement isn’t a serious perk to this particular assignment, but your intel has been invaluable, Rose. The fact that we know definitively now that there are Firstblood sympathizers in the castle, and we have names is helpful, even if we haven’t uncovered specifically- what?” Rose grinned. “You’ve got my husband’s batter on your face, and it’s both funny and adorable.” “I’ll get it.” Chimed Finn, leaning over to kiss the corner of Poe’s mouth, and lick the batter off his face. Rose chortled. “You two are ridiculous.” Poe smirked as Finn crossed to the table Rose was sitting on. “My darling wife, you don’t even like lemon cake batter.” He said before leaning down and kissing her deeply. When they broke the kiss, Rose had one hand on his face, wiping a little smudge of flour from his cheek. “Yes, but I love you, so I suppose that makes up for it.”

  


* * *

  


It was far too warm in the cave. The sticky heat clung to Rey, making it impossible to sleep. The others had all gone out in search of cooler places to sleep, but Rey had barely been able to move after the day’s grueling workout. After a solid hour of tossing and turning in her bunk, she had finally given up and was dragging her stiff muscles to sleep outside where there might at least be a cool breeze. Once she got her body up and moving, she realized that maybe the heat wasn’t the only party responsible for her insomnia. She stretched and groaned, running a hand down her face. There was a small waterfall that fed a cold clear pool not far from the cave, and she decided that some cold water might really be the only way to shake the knots in her stomach and the fluttering in her chest. She quickly grabbed a fresh tunic and slipped on her boots before making her way carefully past her sleeping compatriots. Kylo had disappeared shortly after dinner, but Javelin was sprawled out in a hammock with Hawke, Flint was passed out leaning up against a tree, Dirk was probably on watch somewhere, and Oake was curled up on a bedroll tucked up against a rock.

She made her way down the narrow path until she reached the edge of the clear pool fed by the waterfall. The forest was eerily still in the moonlight to the point that she could hear her own breathing. She laid out her clean tunic on a rock and sat down on a log to remove her boots. After setting her boots to the side near the tunic, she shucked off her sweaty linen pants and stepped out into the water. The bracing shock of the cold pool iced her nerves and caused her whole body to bolt awake. She stepped out further and plunged under the water, letting her body acclimate to the cold. She leaned back and floated gently in the cold pool, staring up at the stars, lost in thought. She knew she would have to go back soon. She knew she was hiding from her responsibilities. She frowned slightly. She had never asked for those responsibilities. After a desperate childhood in the Jakku desert, she had only wanted a family. If she’d know what that family would really mean, would she have left? And now, here she was supposed to marry a man she’d never even met. She’d only ever even seen a sketch of him, and to be honest, she’d barely glanced at it before crumpling it and throwing it away. She hadn’t let them send a portrait of her to the prince, partially out of defiance that if they had to marry anyway, he could take her or leave her, and partially out of insecurity. She tried to push those thoughts away and clear her mind, focusing on the rise and fall of her chest, feeling the cool water shift around her and caress her body. The thought of Kylos big hands on her body, doing the caressing entered her mind unbidden, but not unwelcome.

  


Kylo was going to get himself killed if he couldn’t banish the distraction that was Rook from his foolish mind. He helplessly thought about her all the time no matter what he was doing. But after training today, the arch of her back, and the taut muscle of her hips and thighs were seared into his memory. He’d excused himself from dinner to send a brief letter off to his mother the queen via his falcon, and then he’d done everything in his mortal power to get her out of his head. He’d polished and repaired every scrap of his armor, tried and failed to sleep, and now he found himself following the narrow trail to the waterfall. Cold water seemed like the responsible choice right now. He was entangled in a revenge mission. He was a betrothed man. He was a prince. He had responsibilities. It didn’t matter how much he longed to run his hands over every inch of her pale skin. It didn’t matter how much he wanted to kiss her beautiful, smiling mouth, count the freckles that dusted her perfect nose, nuzzle his face into her slender neck. He. was. Spoken. For.

  


He stopped up short as soon as the pool came into view. There, floating in the moonlight silver pool was the girl that haunted his thoughts. The water’s reflection made it look like she was floating in a pool of starlight. She was on her back, eyes closed in a perfect picture of peace, a small smile on her lips. The thin pale fabric of her tunic was plastered to her body, outlining the peaks of her small, perfectly formed breasts, the small pink buds of her nipples, erect from the coolness of the water. His heart fluttered in his chest, and his cock twitched in his trousers. He cleared his throat and called softly “Rook…” but she didn’t respond. He called her name a little louder, but she remained still in the water. Some guttural instinct seized hold of Kylos brain and he panicked, kicking out of his boots and tossing his shirt aside as he plunged into the water.

  


Rey’s fantasy reverie was abruptly halted as something huge splashed into the water. She coughed and sputtered and stood up in a flash, gasping as she looked around to spot Kylo splashing hastily towards her. “What are you  _ doing? _ ” she cried. He halted immediately and his face flushed crimson. He stopped and dropped to his knees, letting the water rise up to his chest. “I thought you were dead! I called and called your name, but you didn’t answer!” Rey stared at him in disbelief, and then began to laugh an infectious throaty laugh. Kylo smiled in spite of himself, and began to laugh as well. They both laughed until they had tears in their eyes. It was the kind of cathartic laughter that smoothed over weeks of tension. Finally, when their laughter had diminished to sighs and chuckles, Rey swam closer, sinking down so that the water covered her up to her chest, and her gauzy tunic floating gently around her. “I take it you couldn’t sleep either?” she asked in a quiet voice, looking down and biting her lip. “No, I couldn’t, I’ve … had a lot on my mind.” He replied as he raked his fingers through his wet hair. “Me too.” Rey desperately wanted to close the distance between them, to feel her body flush against his like it had been earlier.He broke the silence first. “Do you want to tell me about it?” The question surprised Kylo almost as much as it surprised Rey. She shook her head slightly “I do, but I can’t.” Kylo nodded and blew a puff of air out of his soft, plush lips. “I can understand that.” They floated in silence for a few moments more, looking at the water, the stars, anything but each other. They allowed themselves to drift slightly closer together, pulled inexorably towards one another.

  


The hem of her tunic brushed against his knees and it was like a spark. They turned to look in each other’s eyes, their breathing instinctively slowing, deepening and matching. Without thinking, Rey reached up to brush a stray strand of hair from his forehead, and allowed her hand to linger slightly, to trail down the side of his face, brushing lightly against a faint scar. He sucked in a breath and stiffened at her touch. She froze, hand still lingering, barely touching him. Her eyes widened slightly, and her lips parted gently as a shudder ran down her spine. He reached up and put his hand over hers, maintaining eye contact, his glance searching for any signs of hesitation, when he saw none, he turned his face toward her hand and kissed the inside of her palm. The wetness that Rey felt between her legs was not from the water of the pool. She reached out her other hand to him, settling it on the firm muscle of his shoulder, tracing the line of his clavicle with her thumb. This elicited a shudder and a gentle moan against the palm of her hand. He closed his hand around her delicate wrist and pulled it backward, placing it on the back of his neck, pulling her through the water towards him. Their breathing quickened as he wrapped his arm around her slender waist, pulling her in even closer, and closing the gap between them. He rested his forehead on hers, tightening his grip around her waist, feeling the press of her breasts against his chest. Their mouths were a heartbeat apart, bodies singing in tune with one another as her fingers dug into the back of his neck and his shoulder. He growled soft and low in the base of his throat, sliding his hand down to pull her hips toward him. They were breathing quickly, panting out small gasps, as she rubbed her jawline across his cheek and he nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, breathing hard against the hollow of her throat. Her breath caught as a small gasp escaped her lips. ** Emboldened, she wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing her hot sex against his building erection. He pulled away and knotted his fingers in her hair at the nape of her neck, pulling slightly to make direct eye contact with her. His gaze was hungry, and wordlessly echoed his question from earlier. “May I?”

She tightened her grip with her thighs, supported by the water, and tilted her hips slightly, rubbing her swollen opening down the considerable length of his cock, now rock hard and straining against the wet fabric that contained him. Kylo let out a strangled gasp and swiftly moved his hand from her waist down to the firm round crescent of her ass, pressing her completely against his length, he began thrusting against her, slowly, angling himself so that his cock would rub against her aching clit. Her eyes went wide, pupils dilating, and she moaned softly. He jerked back on her hair, tilting her head back to expose the pale flesh of her throat to him. He grazed his lips up and down her neck, and then his teeth, and then his tongue while he continued to thrust, and she continued to grind against him. Her grip on the back of his neck tightened, nails sinking into his flesh as he growled against her. She was losing herself in this, heat blossoming inside her. He pulled back from her slightly and stopped his thrusting. She whimpered at the separation, and that small helpless sound drove him over the edge. He snapped his head up to look her in the eyes, commanding her presence with his fiery gaze. He released his grip on her hair and moved his hand across her neck, lifting her out of the water enough to expose her to the open air down to their waists.His hand trailed down to cup her breast and circle her nipple through the soaking fabric with such a delicacy that she thought she might pass out. She was losing her mind. She whimpered again and began to grind against him desperate for friction and release. He moved his other hand circling her hip and placing it between them, hovering his thumb over her clit. He leaned in close, and rumbled in her ear. “May I?” She panted out a response “Yes. Yes, please, yes.” and he pressed down, stroking her lightly at first, building in intensity as she rocked against him, hands frantically roaming the plains of his smooth corded muscles, raking through his hair. His thumb worked over her clit harder and faster until she cried out in ecstasy, orgasm crashing over her in wave after wave.** Her whole body shuddered and she clutched him like she was drowning. He wrapped his arms completely around her and held her close as if she would disappear if he let her go. They stayed like that for some time as the warmth began to seep from their bodies against the cold water. Rey began to shiver against him and he knew that they would have to disentangle themselves and leave this perfect world of water and moonlight. “Rook.” He said gently. She raised her head, unwrapping her legs from around him, and pressing their bodies perfectly flush. She lifted a finger to his lips. “Don’t. Don’t say anything. I know we both have so many questions, but I also know that neither of us can give the other answers right now. Let’s just have this.” She gave him a slightly bashful smile. “And sometime, I’d like to return the favor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again for reading! I truly appreciate the kudos and comments, they're really keeping me going through a rough week. Hope you enjoyed this weeks chapter! Stay tuned next week for a plot explosion, espionage, betrayal, sword fight! and more sex. You know, all the good stuff.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Chapter 1 is also up, we're gonna do some world building, some outfit changes, and get in a crazy fight in the woods!


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